Archaeologists excavating the Jiahu Neolithic site in China have unearthed a unique burial containing the remains of a child with unusual markings on their bones. This finding sheds light on potential burial practices unique to Neolithic China.
Archaeologists have revealed a 'unique' prehistoric burial featuring the remains of a child whose skeleton displays evidence of unusual marks on its bones.The child's remains were discovered at an early Neolithic archaeological site known as Jiahu , in northern China , that dates back to around 7,000-5,000 B.C.While the modifications remains something of a mystery, the bones may be indicative of burial practices that have previously not been documented in Neolithic China .
The Jiahu site was discovered in the 1960s in the town of Beiwudu in Henan province. It holds great significance for Chinese Neolithic archaeology having yielded important remains over several excavation seasons—including one of the world's oldest fermented beverages and possibly the oldest silk. Archaeologists have also uncovered dozens of human burials at the site.During a thorough lab analysis of human skeletal remains excavated from the site in 2001, the authors of a study published in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology noticed an intriguing set of bones.These bones, which appear to belong to a child who died around the age of 8-10, originated from a multiple burial containing three individuals in total. The child's remains appear to have been placed in the grave in a 'concealed' way with various funerary goods, including a bone flute.The burial, known as M511, is located in a central cluster at the site dating to around 6,000 B.C. This cluster contains distinctive finds and features that were possibly associated with rituals or ritual practitioners, according to the study.For example, M511 lies in close proximity to two 'unique' archaeological features, including a large burial containing at least 23 individuals and a pit containing numerous turtle shell rattles, as well as a fork-shaped bone too
Archaeology China Neolithic Burial Child Marks Jiahu
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